In some ways, the economic trajectory of Clarksdale, MS (est. pop. 15,124), is similar to that of other small cities in the Deep South. Per capita income is less than $20,000, and the poverty rate is north of 40 percent, according to the Census Bureau. But Clarksdale has created a downtown success story based on…To read more — login/subscribe
Early in the history of Open on Main, a storefront activation initiative in Memphis, TN (est. pop. 628,127), Brett Roler, senior vice president of the Downtown Memphis Commission was careful to make pop-ups look and feel like permanent businesses. Roler required retailers to operate full business hours, and the signage gave no hint that the…To read more — login/subscribe
In an effort to remove chronic troublemakers from its resurgent downtown entertainment district, the city of Las Vegas, NV (est. pop. 646,790), approved an “order-out corridor” in November. The policy seeks to cut crime by banning offenders who commit misdemeanors downtown from returning to the area to wreak more havoc. The Las Vegas City Council…To read more — login/subscribe
Deservedly or not, San Francisco has been portrayed in recent years as a hellscape of homelessness, drug use, and crime. Looking to polish the city’s tarnished image, a group of San Francisco business leaders is using a $4 million ad campaign to offer a more flattering version of the state of the city. The “It…To read more — login/subscribe
President Joe Biden has unveiled a policy designed to spur conversions of empty commercial buildings to residential use. The plan calls for public financing of office-to-residential projects, the sale of some federal properties, and targeted tax incentives. “Office and commercial vacancies across the country are affecting urban downtowns and rural main streets,” the White House…To read more — login/subscribe
The holidays are here again — and for many downtown leaders, that means it’s time to think about how to wrest some holiday spending from Amazon and suburban shopping malls. Locally branded gift cards have emerged as a popular way to spur local spending while also tapping into civic pride. For downtowns that have embraced…To read more — login/subscribe
Closed streets draw visitors The Open Streets program returned to Salt Lake City, UT, with new fall dates this year. The special fall edition ran from September 15 through October 28, every Friday and Saturday from noon to 1 a.m. During that time, a central portion of Main Street was closed to automobile traffic to…To read more — login/subscribe
In Lethbridge, Alberta (est. pop. 106,000), downtown leaders are keeping streets clean and engaging the city’s unhoused population. The Clean Sweep Program pays homeless people $15 an hour to perform clean and safe work. Their tasks include trash pickup, snow removal, and disposing of needles, pipes, and other paraphernalia from downtown’s designated area for drug…To read more — login/subscribe
A “pawp-up” park for dogs downtown. A basketball court in a formerly unused underpass. Wayfinding signage scrawled on sidewalks with chalk. Painted pianos in public parks. Not every downtown attraction initiative needs to be a major undertaking. There’s a real role for small, inexpensive projects. Errin Welty, senior downtown development director at the Wisconsin Economic…To read more — login/subscribe
